Wood-working for Beginners: A Manual for Amateurs. Charles G. Wheeler
113.
Fig. 114.
Fig. 115.
Fig. 116.
Mitre-Box.—Great care is necessary to make an accurate wooden mitre-box (Fig. 116), although the process is simple. Do not make it of spruce or any wood liable to warp or twist. Pine or mahogany is good. Use stock from a middle board if you can (see Chapter III.). A mitre-box can be of any desired size.
Before beginning work read carefully Marking, Rule, Square, Saw, and Plane, and look up any other references.
Fig. 117.
Fig. 118.
A good size is from 1' to 2' long and from 3" to 6" square (inside), according to the work for which it is to be used, and of stock 7/8" thick. The pieces must be prepared with care, so that the edges shall be square and the surfaces true, particularly on the inside, for when the box is put together the sides must be parallel and square throughout with the bottom, on the inside. Test each piece with the square. Use care in screwing the sides to the bottom to keep them exactly in place (see Screws). Nails can be used, but screws are better. Lay out the lines for the sawing from the inside, with the steel square if you have one, or with the end of the tongue of the try-square. Mark the line a on the inside of the side x (Fig. 117), squaring from the bottom. Mark the point b at a distance from a just equal to the distance between the sides. Square a line at this point from the bottom, on the inside as before. Carry this line across to the side y, squaring from the inner surface of the side x, and mark the point c on the inner side of the side y. Also from the point c draw a vertical line on the inside of y corresponding to the line a. Carefully mark the line g h, which will give the mitre. The lines should be laid out from the inside, because it is against the inside surfaces that the pieces to be cut in the mitre-box will bear.
Another way is to square a line m n (Fig. 118) across the top side of the bottom piece, before putting together, and to lay off from one end of this line a point o on the edge, at a distance equal to the width of the bottom, thus fixing the points m, n, and o. Next fasten on the sides, square upright lines on the inside of one side from the point m and on the inside of the other side from the point o. The diagonal line pq (Fig. 119) will represent the mitre.
Fig. 119.
Fig. 120.
The cuts for the saw to run in should be made with a back-saw or a panel-saw. In a similar manner square on the inside two upright lines opposite each other, draw a line across the tops of the sides to meet these lines (squaring from the inside as before), and make a saw-cut, as shown by the middle line in Fig. 116. This will be very useful to saw strips squarely across. You can put buttons on the outside near the lower edge to catch against the front edge of the bench-top if you wish, or use the mitre-box on the bench-hooks when necessary to hold it firmly.
Fig. 121.
A very useful mitre-board for sawing strips, mouldings, and the like, can be made with two short boards, one wider than the other, being sure that the surfaces and edges are true and square (Fig. 120). This can be of any size. A good size is from 1' to 2' long, 6" wide (in all), and of stock ⅞" thick, but it is better to make the narrow piece thicker, perhaps 1¼" or 1¾". Mark the lines first on the bottom of the narrow piece, then on the edges, and lastly on the top, as with the mitre-box just shown, to ensure the lines being at the correct angles with the surfaces against which the wood to be sawed will rest. An excellent plan is to make saw-kerfs for mitres in the cleat of a bench-hook (Fig. 121), in the way just shown.
Fig. 122.
Fig. 123.
Shooting-Board.—This is useful for squaring edges and small surfaces and ends with the plane, and for jointing edges, the plane being pushed forward on its side (see Shooting-board, in Part V.). It can be of any wood which holds its shape well. Clear white pine or mahogany is good. If carelessly made it will be of but little use. The stock must be planed free from winding. Several forms are shown in Figs. 122, 123, and 124.
Fig. 124.
Before beginning work read carefully Marking, Rule, Square, Saw, Plane, in Part V., and look up any other references. The construction is plain (Fig. 122). Approximate dimensions are given, Fig. 122 being made of 7/8" stock, Fig. 123 of ½" and ¼" stock, and Fig. 124 of 7/8" stock. Screw the pieces together from the under side (see Screws). See that the stop or cleat a is put on at right angles to the edge b. Mark the lines for this accurately with knife or chisel. A groove is sometimes cut for this stop, but this is a refinement that is not at all necessary if you do your work well. This board must have a rabbet or groove cut out of the upper piece, as shown, to give room for shavings. In Fig. 123 the top board overlaps the ends of the cleats a trifle, which (with the spaces between the cleats) allows the escape of the shavings. Arrange some way to hold the board firmly on the bench. Care is necessary in using the shooting-board not to plane slices from your left hand. Guides, to attach to the plane to ensure square edges, can be bought and used instead of the shooting-board. Some of them are serviceable, particularly those adjustable at various angles.
Fig. 125.
A mitre shooting-board (Fig. 125) is also useful. It requires to be made with even more care than the board just given, but on the same principle. The angular stop or stops must be fitted to make the angles exactly 45°. A sawed mitre holds glue better than a planed mitre, but sawed mitres often require trimming with the plane to get a perfect fit.
Form for Rounding Sticks.—You will be continually wanting to make sticks eight-sided or round. A form to hold the pieces for planing is a great convenience.
Fig. 126.
Before beginning work read carefully Marking, Gauge, Plane, and Nailing, in Part V., and look up any other references.
Fig. 127.
Fig. 128.